Method of forming metal laths



2 Sheets-Sheet l June 7, 1932. M. KAMINETSKY METHOD OF FORMING METAL LATHS Filed Feb. 26, 1929 V// ///////A 2 y yf/f o Svwwwtoz fii x KAM/NEm/ry $51 M 61am,

June 7, 1932. M. KAMlNETSKY METHOD OF FORMING METAL LATHS Filed Feb. 26, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gvwemtoz M/IX K/lM/IVETSK) 351 M Gum/mm;

Patented June 7, 1932 NITE STATES PATENT orrlcaj MAX KAMINETSKY, 0F PASSAIC, NEW JERSEY METHOD OF FORMING MATHS Application filed February 26, 1929. 1 Serial No 342,771.

This invention relates to a metal'product i0 said out portions whereby the cut portions are opened up or expanded to permit the use of the material as laths', in building operations, for instance. i A still" further object of my invention is to provide a process for thequick and efiicient production of the article so that a more substantial and more rigid structure may be obtained and so that subsequent finishing of the material by painting, coating or otherwise, may bra-eliminated.

-While I employ the term lath in the specification to follow, in connection with my article, it is to be understood that the use or the process of making it up is not limited by the use of this :term. Lath has been one of the biggest items in the expanded metal art and it is an improvement on this: metal lath that I have employed my present construction. The lath in use at the present time is flimsy, will: cut the hands and clothing of the operatoror lather in many instancesif not 7 handled carefully, and is not rigid enough to give the plaster or ground mortar coat of a wall the anchorage necessary and is not sufficiently rigid'to meet all the necessary requirements of an eflicient building unit. Its production hasbeen expensive due to the complicated machinery necessary in" expanding it because complicated machinery has been necessary to increase the over-all width of the sheet after the same: has been properly slit. In theproduction of thepresent lath, soapywater or oil has been used as a lubricant for the cutters and this makes necessary the cleaning of the sheets and drying of them before the black asphaltum or other paint may be applied. Any grooving that may have been done in these expanded sheets was done sinrp'lyvvith thei'dea of trying to make the sheets rigid: l

In my improvediinvention, I have grooved the sheets. and have used the grooving for a specific purpose, that of expanding the sheets internally and Without increasing their overall width so that the strength of the material is retained, it is made very rigid by having grooves formed therein and permits theexpanded portions to be maintained at the dee sired Width to provide just enough anchor for the brown mortar or cement with which it is coated in the building operation.

In carrying outthe steps of-my process the material is first'subjected to the action of cut-' ters which cut substantially herringbone shaped slits therein at fixed distances apart as the. material is intermittently advanced through a suitable machine. The second" step in the process is the grooving of thetshee't so that the cut portions thereof are'slightly L V expanded and the final step islthe complete grooving of the sheets so that final expansion movement of the cut portionsis provided to make up the finished article. i

To enable. others skilled in the art toiullyl.

comprehend the underlying features' of my the various modifications in structure marelation contemplated,a drawing depicting a invention that they may embody thesam'ein preferred 'form has been annexed as apart or this disclosure and in such drawings, similar reference characters denote corresponding parts throughout all the views, ofwhich', I Figure 1, 1s a plan view of a piecevofrriaterial showing the first step in the operation or[ after the sheet has passed beneath" the cutters to be provided with suitable rows of slits.

- Figure 2 is a plan view of the sheet of material illustrated in Figure 1 after it has 7 passed through the second step of the process,

namely, the alternate grooving which partly opens the slit portions of the sheet.

Figure 3 is a viewof the sheet as illustrated in Figure 2 after it has passed through the final step in the process, that'of being grooved alternately to the groove illustrated in Fig ure 2" whereby the complete ,expansion'of the 7 cut portion is consuma-t'edg Figure 4 is an edgevi'ew of the piece o i inater'ial as illustrated in Figure 3 ,thi's' View showing how the ribs formedby thesli-ts i-n mo i ters employed in carrying out a step in the process. I

Figure 6 1s a view 1n sectional elevation through the cutter carriersillustrated in Fig- 7 ure 5, this View illustrating how the cutters cooperate to produce the'slits in the cut-por I tion of the sheet. I H y Figure 7 is a view in sectional elevation of parts of crimping rolls employed in my process and illustrating how the grooving" or crimping of the sheet of material is performed, and

Figure 8 is a view lustrating the use of threecrimping rolls, two of which are riding inthe grooves already formed as illustrated in Figure 7, While the center grooving roll is producing the intermediate groove for the final step in the process of producing the article.

Referring to the drawings in detail,.5 indicates a sheet of metallicmaterial ormalle- V able material which is to be, subjected to my process of manufacture.

The sheet may be of thin gauge. metal and may be used for a number of purposes, apurpose for illustration being that of metallath as used in the building trade. The sheet of material 5 is passed through a suitable machine and is providedv with rows 6 of slits. Adjacent rows of slits being arranged to form a herringbone cut,.it being understood that any other shape or angle of cut may be employed to suit the conditions for which the article is manufactured. These rows of slits are spaced exactly the same distance apart and do not increase nor ,decrease the overall width of the sheet. Afterthe sheets 5 have passed under the cutters and each sheet hasbeen provided with .the rows of slits 6, it passes under suitable rollers'which groove the materialas at 7 and betweenalternate slit portions thereof. This grooving 7, and while the groove is illusqtrated, it is evident that any suitable crimp 9 may be employed to carry out the same purpose, the slits 6 open up to provide the open @portions 8'and the bridge or connecting portions 9 and it will beparticularly noted, that QFitha-t have heretofore not been grooved,.the

sheet, the material is drawn intothegroove and the cut portions open up in proportion. .tThe depths of the grooves? will determine the amount that the cut portions 6 will open up. After these :grooves 7 have been formed, ,it will be particularly noted that the sheet width or similar to Figure 7 ,il-

construction to save I metal. f

previously grooved spaces being indicated by the numeral 11. Suitable grooving rollers are employed which again travel through the pre-formed grooves 7 and in addition to this, intermediate grooving rolls are provided which will groove the sheet as at 12 causing the cut portions to further open out or expand as illustrated in Figure 3.

It is therefore evident that this sheet has been expanded but it has not been expanded in its overall .width because even after the final operation has takenplace, thesheet of material measuresexactly the same'in width as it did before it was placed in the machine, or substantially so. The grooving and cutting operations simply causing internal eX- pansion of the cut portionsof the sheet to provide what appears to be expanded metal and what really is expanded metal but ex; panded internally to maintain the rigidity of the sheet as a whole and to provide a unit of manufacture which is rigid and strong. ,In view of the fact that I employ two different sets-of cutters which are identically the same in construction and operation in order to form alternate cut portions in thesheet of material 5, it is believed that a description of one will suffiee. As illustrated" in Figures 5 and 6, acutter shaft-.36 carries thecutter holders 37, each of which are madein two portions, a hubbedportion 38 whichis secured in any suitable manner as by the spacers 39- at proper intervals along the'cutter shaft 36 the cutters 40 being secured against the hubbed members 37'by the collars 41 which are bolted thereto as at 42. Mounting the cutters -in this manner makes it very easy'to remove them for sharpening and it will be noted that there is a cutter at-the diametrically opposite sides of the cutter holders so that every half revolution of the. cutter shaft makes onelcutting operation by the, cutter. It is to be understood that; any number of cutter holders may be employed and the It is evident therefore that I haveprovided not only a process of manufacture involving the idea of expanding a 'sheetinternally so 7 that it overcomes the fault that attends the' expanding of a sheet so that its width is increased,but I also'use the extra amount of metal that I started with andmaintaining the when this groove 7 has been formed-1n the sheet the same width, put the extra material sheet and adapt it for uses other than for. lath V f where a rigid structure is desired.

, i In the flat'ribs used today onflat, ribbed.

and in fact, make it adaptablefor many uses rigidity between the studding of a building It is evident that my ideanot only permits 5 7 the deepening of the grooves to make a rigid structure but it also permits the proper expansion of the material internally to provide a suitable anchor for the material to-be moulded thereto.

It is evident also that I have provided an article of manufacture in which the first and second grooving after the cutting operation, completes the article and by paintingthe article first with asphaltum or other suitable paint mixture, sufiicient lubricating qualities are imparted thereto to enable its smooth and rapid passage through a machine without breaking thecutters or otherwise hindering their operation. When the sheet emerges after its expansion and cutting, it need not be cleaned or painted because the paint that has completely covered the sheet of material before its passage through the machine, is ample for covering material after it has been floors or roofs and'in this instance, the expanded sheet can be used over steel joints as a support for a slab of concrete while soft or as a reinforcing for the slab when hard. 7

The gauge of the sheet, would of course, be decided by the engineer or architect according to the requirements and would be made to conform properly to the distances apart or centers of the joists.

At the present time, temporary forms and reinforcing bars are used and by using my new sheet material, the forms can be eliminated and the weight of the steel reinforcing can be substituted in many instances by sheets of a sufficient gauge to give the required weight. As a matter of fact part reinforcing can be used and the balance of the weight can be made up by using sheets of proper thickness.

When in use as a permanent form and reinforce, the sheets would be laid so that the ridges were extending upward and the space between the ridges could, in the expanded portions of the sheet, be filled with a lime and cement and sand moistened putty to form a watertight bottoming for the soft concrete to be spread over the sheet. By the weight of the concrete 4, the putty would portions of the sheet and would form, when dry and hard, rough anchors or keys for the plaster to be used on the ceiling or under side of the hardened concrete.

While I have illustrated and described my invention with some degree of particularity, I realize that in practice various alterations therein may be made, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claim.

What I claim is The process of producing a sheet of material of the character described which consists in providing a sheet with rows of slits therein, then indenting the sheet with parallel grooves disposed between alternate rows of slits to slightly open theslits and then indenting the ungrooved spaces between the rows of slits with parallel grooves to complete the expansion of the sheet.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

MAX KAMINETSKY. [L. s.]

'be forced somewhat through the expanded V 

